WASHINGTON — To many college students, beer and the NCAA basketball tournament are like peas and carrots or Ramen Noodles and all-nighters.

Which, to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is a problem and one worsened by alcohol ads during tournament time.

The center released a letter today to NCAA President Myles Brand, urging the organization to stop showing beer ads during games so as not to encourage underage drinking among college students and every other basketball fan who can’t legally watch the games at a bar.

March Madness is second only to the Super Bowl as far as ad revenue goes, according to the center. The letter claims the NCAA can still turn a handsome profit without alcohol ads.

“The NCAA can do without beer ads. The tournament’s enormous popularity virtually assures that beer ads would be replaced (at least in substantial part) by ads for products that do not compromise the missions of higher education and college sports,” the letter read.

St. Louis-based brewer Anheuser-Busch and Miller bought $42.8 million of ad time in last year’s tournament, second only to car ads, according to TNS Media Intelligence.